575th Air Defense Group
|allegiance= |branch= |type=Fighter Interceptor |role=Air Defense |size= |command_structure=Air Defense Command |garrison= |battles= |decorations= }} The 575th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4708th Air Defense Wing at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for the 4th Fighter Group after the 4th returned to the US at the end of World War II and performed that mission until it was inactivated in 1947. The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. A year later ADC established it as an operational headquarters for fighter-interceptor squadrons as well. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 1st Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II. History Strategic Air Command The group was activated in 1946 as the 575th Air Service Group to support the 4th Fighter GroupAFHRA Factsheet, 4th Operations Group (accessed 7 Mar 2012) at Selfridge Field, MI. Its 1044th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the fighter group, its 1054th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The group transferred on paper to Andrews Field, MD, where it was inactivated in 1947. It was disbanded in 1948.Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units Air Defense Command The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 575th Air Base Group, and activated at Selfridge AFB in 1952 in a major reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.Grant, C.L., The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126, p. 33 It replaced the 56th Air Base Group as the USAF host unit for Selfridge. The group was assigned seven squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p. 134Cornett & Johnson, p. 152''See'' Abstract, History of 575th Food Service Squadron, Feb-Mar 1952 (accessed 17 June 2012)See Abstract, History of 575th Motor Vehicle Squadron, Apr-Jun 1952 (accessed 17 June 2012)See Abstract, History of 575th Supply Squadron, Feb-Jun 1952 (accessed 17 June 2012) It also maintained aircraft stationed at Selfridge.Cornett & Johnson pp.142 The group was redesignated as the 575th Air Defense Group in 1953 and assumed responsibility for air defense of the upper Great Lakes area. It was assigned the 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying F-86 Sabre aircraftCornett & Johnson, p.116 61st FIS, flying F-94 Starfire aircraft,Cornett & Johnson, p.117 and 431st FIS, flying World War II era F-51 Mustang aircraftCornett & Johnson, p.128 from the 4708th Defense Wing as its operational elements. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 237Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 532-533 The three squadrons were already stationed at Selfridge. In May 1953, the 431st FIS converted to Sabres and the following month moved to Libya and was assigned away from the group. Meanwhile, in April 1953, the 13th FIS, flying a newer radar and rocketequipped model of the F-86 aircraftCornett & Johnson, p.114 was activated as a fourth operational squadron.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.73 In July the 56th FIS upgraded to newer radar equipped "Sabres," so that when the 61st FIS moved to Newfoundland and was transferred out of the group in August, all squadrons of the 575th were flying the same aircraft, the F-86D, for the first time. In September, the group's medical squadron responsibility expanded when the nearby Percy Jones Army Hospital closed.Abstract, History of 575th Medical Squadron, Jul-Dec 1953 (accessed 17 June 2012) The group was inactivated and replaced by 1st Fighter Group (Air Defense) in 1955 as part of Air Defense Command's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1956., p.6 It was disbanded again in 1984.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units Lineage * Constituted as the 575th Air Service Group : Activated ca. 5 September 1946 : Inactivated on 15 August 1947 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 575th Air Base Group on 1 January 1952 : Activated on 1 February 1952 * Redesignated as 575th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 : Disbanded on 27 September 1984 Assignments * Fifteenth Air Force, ca. 5 September 1946 - 26 March 1947 * Strategic Air Command, 26 March 1947 - 15 August 1947 * 4708th Defense Wing (later 4708th Air Defense Wing), 7 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 Stations * Selfridge Field, Michigan, 5 September 1946 - 26 March 1947 * Andrews Field, Maryland, 26 March 1947 - 15 August 1947 * Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 7 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 Components Operational Squadrons * 13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 27 April 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 6 August 1953 * 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 23 June 1953 Support Squadrons * 575th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Medical Squadron (later 575th USAF Hospital),See Abstract, History of 575th USAF Hospitsl, Jan-Jun 1954 (accessed 17 June 2012) 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 575th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955 * 1044th Air Engineering Squadron, ca. 5 September 1946 - 15 August 1947 * 1054th Air Materiel Squadron, ca. 5 September 1946 - 15 August 1947 Aircraft * F-51D, 1953 * F-86D, 1953–55 * F-86F, 1953 * F-94B, 1953 See also * Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons * AFHRA Factsheet, 56th Training Squadron (accessed 7 Mar 2012) * AFHRA Factsheet, 61st Fighter Squadron (accessed 7 Mar 2012) References Notes Bibliography * Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956) * * * Grant, C.L., (1961) The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126 * * Further Reading * 0575 Category:Aerospace Defense Command units Category:Military units and formations in Michigan Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1984 Category:Military units and formations established in 1952